This is a schematic showing the forming solar system.
Click on image for full size
C. Alexander

The Formation of the Solar System out of the Primordial Nebula

The solar system contracted out of a rotating cloud of hydrogen and helium gas. The momentum of the rotation flattened the originally round cloud into a disk, somewhat the way a ball of pizza dough can be made flat by spinning it in the air. As it flattened, gaseous material condensed and aggregated to form more solid material. For a diagram showing which material condensed near Saturn, click here.


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An Overview of Motions in Saturn's Atmosphere

The most important motions in the atmosphere are winds. The major winds in Saturn's atmosphere are the zonal winds which are composed of alternating belts and zones flowing in opposite directions. Belts...more

Saturn's Belts and Zones

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How a proto-planet sweeps up nearby material

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Saturn's Strange Hexagon

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Saturn's Southern Polar Vortex

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